BMW Championship: What every player needs to reach FedEx Cup finale at Tour Championship

The battle for the final 30 places at next week's Tour Championship will go down to the wire at Bellerive Country Club this week, with 50 players fighting to keep their FedExCup hopes alive.

Only the top 30 in the standings after this week's BMW Championship will advance to East Lake in Georgia, where the FedExCup champion will be crowned.

The PGA Tour has scrapped the staggered starting strokes used in previous editions of the Tour Championship, meaning all 30 players will begin the season finale on level terms.

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That makes this week's BMW Championship particularly important for those hovering around the No.30 cut-off.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler heads into the tournament in pole position after an emphatic eight-shot victory at last week's FedEx St. Jude Championship.

The victory marked the American's second of the season and the 21st of his PGA Tour career. 

Scheffler also extended his FedExCup lead with that victory and is once again the man to beat, having claimed his first FedExCup title in 2024.

Some huge PGA Tour names including Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry have already been eliminated from the season-long race. 

Rickie Fowler currently occupies the final qualifying position at No.30, but his place at East Lake is far from secure.

Fowler has made the Tour Championship seven times and will be hoping to extend that run, with Gary Woodland and a host of big names chasing him.

As you can see from the table below, the PGA Tour has provided the minimum finishes required for players around the cut-off to retain a mathematical chance of breaking into the top 30.

Importantly, these are not guaranteed qualifying positions. They are the worst finishes that would still leave each player with a mathematical route into the top 30, depending on the results of those around them.

FedEx Cup Playoff scenarios at BMW Championship

Some big names in danger of missing Tour Championship

Sungjae Im climbed 13 places into the top 50 at last week's FedEx St. Jude Championship and is now 40th on the list. 

Im has reached the Tour Championship in each of his seven seasons on the PGA Tour, but now needs at least a solo eighth-place finish to retain a mathematical chance of making it eight straight appearances.

Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas, meanwhile, need a solo seventh-place finish from Nos.43 and 44 respectively.

Further down the standings, the task becomes even tougher. 

Sahith Theegala and Ryo Hisatsune need a three-way tie for second, while Matt McCarty, down in 50th, needs to finish solo second. 

Scheffler leads the way

Scheffler tops the standings with 4,873 FedExCup points, followed by Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, Si Woo Kim and Wyndham Clark.

The current top 10 is completed by Sam Burns, Chris Gotterup, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Åberg.

Rory McIlroy sits 13th, with Xander Schauffele 11th and Viktor Hovland 22nd.

Fleetwood is looking to become the first player in history to successfully defend the FedEx Cup.

McIlroy is a record three-time winner of the FedEx Cup following victories in 2016, 2019 and 2022.

Scroll below to check out the current FedEx Cup standings from 1-50 ahead of the BMW Championship...

FedExCup standings ahead of the BMW Championship